Parker History-please participate

[Bill Murphy]

George, there are sources of information about the names of people who "rode" on steamships in the early days. Some of those records are interesting reading and may identify your Mr. McGraw.

[C.O.B.]

I have a CHE 20 with british proof marks. It was shipped from Shanghi China by Thou M Cobbs back to Parker for a stock repair. I wrote about this gun in the latest edition of PP. How it originally got to either England or China is a mystery still.

I also have a GHE 16 trap/skeet with all the options and enhanced engraveing. this was at the end of production and the gun was shipped from Marshall Field to Alex Kerr's of Hollywood for a Major General William Bradford. He was instrumentsal in the atomic bombing of Japan and there is a golf course named for him at the base in AZ (if memory serves) where he was stationed. This is the "Hollywood" gun I use for Sporting Clays.

[Autumn Daze]

I bought this gun many years ago because it was a great grouse and woodcock gun. In my mind the gun was fine for the field but it was "all wrong". After hunting the New England uplands with it for many years my couriosity got the best of me so with the help of Mark Conrad we started looking in the Parker records. Some very interesting things came to life. But I will let the gun tell the story....I was ordered on October 1st.1892 by Mr. LC Clark of Southampton CT and he lived only a few miles from my birth place in Meriden. I was a 12 gauge PH grade gun with 30" barrels built on a light 1 frame. I was a sleek and fast and Mr. Clark got me for a great deal.My list price was $65.00 but they discounted me to $48.00.Mr. Clark and I enjoyed ourselves hunting the woods and fields of Connecticut for some years. My Clark must have liked the Parker Gun because in 1896 he ordered my younger brother a DH grade gun. He was a snob being a D grade and all. I guess my Mr. Clark was the kind of guy that just couldn't leave things alone because in 1899 he sent us both back to Meriden to be restocked! And to make matters worse he had the stock from my snobbish brother put on me! Well I have to tell ya I was pretty upset with Mr. Clark but I was a big boy and in time I got over it. Things kind of settled down for a time and my snob brother and I took turns in the field. Well along came 1912 and Mr. Clark must have heard about those new fangled "black barrels" the Parker brothers were installing on their guns because on August 22 1912 Mr. Clark send me and my brother back to have 16 gauge Titanic Steel barrels fitted to both of us! After Mr. Clark died I was sold to other people from CT and then I ended up with this guy from southern Connecticut who took me out hunting every fall and treats me very well. But for the last couple of years he has been using my little sister a petite little 20 gauge Trojan. He keeps mumbling something about needing a lighter gun because he is getting older. I think we need to have a little talk soon....Anyway he took a few pictures of me for you folks so I hope you enjoy them.

[Autumn Daze]

Oh I almost forgot....When Mr. Clark orderd my snob brother he paid extra for the checkering of his stock cheeks. And my new 16 gauge barrels are choked cylinder and close.